I wonder if the Australian government knew of or took this report into account before making the stupid decision to join the latest US cowboy jaunt in the Middle East.

Indeed the US military may look powerful but its main arm for projecting force around the world, the US Navy, is built all wrong for warfare today. Gone are the times that naval groups can be built around hulking aircraft carriers – which are sitting ducks for modern missile systems – and though they have 11 of those in their current fleet line-up only one is deployed outside of US waters and it is suggested that they could not get more than four of them to sea at any one time for a variety of reasons – not least being seamen and airmen to man them and not even considering the cost, which includes the enormous cost of trying to keep them afloat in a combat situation. Maybe the Marines could prove effective but you have to get their boots on the ground somewhere for that to happen. And there are not that many places where they would be welcome these days.

An army is going to be of little use to the US in the Pacific and would, such as it is, likely be reserved exclusively for actions in Europe and on Russia’s southern borders where whatever force the US could scrape together (leaving its main bulk to guard the multitude of scattered global bases – which would be ripe for picking in a global conflict), would be well matched by the modern Russian army and its allied nations.

An air war is also out of the question these days with the enormous cost and small reserves of modern missile systems. It is unlikely that any nation could wage air war for more than a few days or a couple of rounds of fighting. Missile stocks are not easily replenished and modern aircraft are nigh on useless without them.

The crux of the matter is that the US has for decades now been basking in the self-reflection of its own past glory – which is now well past its use-by date – and has been caught with its pants around its ankles in weaponry that is 20th century – now unfit for purpose – and a military that is so overburdened by its own weight that it finds it difficult to move effectively. Yes, I’m sure they have multitudes of scatter-brained young boys and overweight old men in reserve that they can call up if needed as some sort of ‘Dad’s Army’, but in terms of effectiveness even if issued with modern weapons their usefulness would be questionable. They would also be dwarfed and negated by opposing Dad’s Army’ units.

Any modern war can not possibly last longer than a few days of actual combat, preceded by possibly weeks or months of preparation (if that is allowed to happen by the other side).

So, is anyone mad enough to start something that can only end one way?

The current state of Western nation leadership does not offer much confidence that sense will prevail.